The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-07-30
PATHS HOME LIFE.
HOW THE GREAT SINGER WHILEs
AWAY THE TIME.

Tho Rather Nomadio Existence Passed
III Hotels and Palace Cars-Isrcalsfast,
Luncheon, Dinncr-Sisnor Nicolini.
"Lalla liookh"-IIostcss and Friends.
There has been n great deal written and
printed about NINE. PATHS home life, as far
as tho term can be applied to tho rather
nomadic existence passed in hotels and palace
cars. AS very few persons, however, have
been privileged to note dc visa the incidents
OF prima doma's daily routine, the pub
lished stories have been rather interesting
than accurate. Tho reporters and interview
ers that have dealt with tho subject at an,
length lavo had to depend i'll truth, more
upon thoir imagination than upon an abun-
dance of facts. During Nine. PATHS sojourn
in the United States, which may be taken Us
fair specimen Of her experience elsewhere.
her days have gone by with something akin
to conventual monotony.
Awakening toward Soclock in the morn
Ing, tho songstrcss takes cup of coffee before
leaving her bed chamber. The two or thrco
hours that 80 by before clunchcon-thc French
dcjcuner Ia fourchrtte-are whiled away
with the maids, the birds, and the dogs, Sig
nor Nicolini appearing at intervals with bit
OF gossip, a suggestion, or some startling in
telligcnce apropos of q particularly long run
made at the billiard table At noon luncheon
is on the table. and Nine. Patti steps into
the dining room and claims her share of fish
and of one dish of meat, ending up with bit
of fruit. Tho prma donna never eats bread
in its habitual form; tho bread laid before
her is cut into thin slices and baked until it is
as hard as wood. She drives daily from . to
4:3O or S. and very little conversation is car
ried OH rs tho carriage rolls through the par.
or up tho road as far as Judge Smiths pop
ular hostelry.
NINE. PATHS DINNERS.
When Nine. Patti is to sing in the evening
she dimes ut i o'clock in tho afternoon; when
she is not to perform, dinner is served at Z.
Ono or two friends are generally invited to
dine with In diva, and formnlity is avoided as
much as possible. The menu is made up in
the morning, and woo to the cook if all its
component parts are not prepared not merely
to tho queens, but to the sorgstrcss and to
the tenors tnste. A great feature of Nine
PATHS dinners is the lee that is brought in at
that stage of events Mt which the pIebcinn Ro-
man punch is hahitually served AT tho
Windsor tins marvellous compound is called
"lalla RoVkh," and for tho hcloof Cs the I'M
initiated 1t may ls described as resembling
the more widely known "Pouling ncsscl-
brode, minus the fruit contained in the lat
ter delcctablc compound.
"Lnlln Roosh' is the single subject, outside
of billiards, upon which Signor Nirolin
wakes positively enthusiastic His admirers
VIII he panied to learn that owing to his ten
dency to bilious attacks, his doctors have for.
hidden him topartakn of his favorte lclicacy
with anything approaching self indulgence
AT dinner Signor Nicolini drinks claret, but
avoids white wines. As for Nine. Patti, two
or three years ngo her physician prescribed
rlarct, with Il view to cnricIling her rather
impoverished blood Just now no traces of
nmrmia are pcrccptiblc, and Nine. Patti llav-
Ing wearicd of clarct is permitted to mingle
little whisky with her water at dilneron
There is no such meal as supper in the Patti
household, and by midnight Siglorund Nine.
Nicolini have retired.
HOSTESS AND FRIENDS
In days set apart for performances Nine
Patti never receives, and does little or no
talking. When she is NOT to sing in tho even
ing she entcrtainS her friends from l to 9
o'clock i'll the afternoon, and after dinner n
little music of an out of the way sort, j. C.
either playing, banjo solos aud so on, by
artists vino nrc only too happy to be asked to
meet Ia diva, is enjoyed by tho hostess and
her friends. The latter nre not very llumel.-
GUS, but they are OF long standing Many Of
them belong to well known Hebrew families,
and nearly all are connected with the world
of finance. Nine. Patti has, practically, no
professional intimates. AT distant intervals
she is called upon by some artists that lave
known her abroad, but it cannot be said that
any close acquaintance exists between her
and her brothers and sisters in urt.
Nor does Nine. Patti cultivate, MS do most
singers and actors the society of journalists.
Those whom she has known and liked for
years are welcomed as friends but in an
evening conversation with them and others
there is no hint Of the hostess profession and
no mention of experiences or triunp,s--
nothing, i'll brief, to suggest that the artist
cares to supply material for newspaper
article or for idle gossip. With her guests
Nine. Pntti prefers to converse in English,
which She speaks quite as iiucntly ns il She
had never left England or Amcrirn But sho
drops into French. Italian and German with
perfect facility, always recurring 10 English
as soon ms practicable. Mine. Patti strives to
ditfusc the belief That Signor Nicoini under
stands the vernacular, if he docs not speak it.
Signor Nicolni, unfortunately, makes no
effort to keep up his wifes well meant and
innocent deccption.-.cw Yor; Sun